About

Masochism

MasochismThe term masochism is derived from an Austrian writer and journalist named Von Sacher-Masoch who lived from 1836 – 1895. In 1886, a German neurologist and psychiatrist Richard von Kraft-Ebing invented this term based on Sacher-Masoch sexual personalities. Kraft- Ebing first used this word in his book Psycholpathia Sexualis (Wikipedia). Masochism in psychiatry definition means the condition in which sexual gratification depends on suffering physical pain or humiliation (Dictionary). This term closely relates to Sacher-Masoch, a man throughout his lifetime desires pain for sexual stimulation and satisfaction. Leopold von Sacher-Masoch was born in 1836 at Lemberg in Galacia. As a child, he grew up n the mids of bloody warfare of the revolution of Prague. These ruthless and cruelty images of war strongly affected his imagination on the sexual side. Sacher-Masoch at a young age developed an attraction to cruel images and loved to gaze at pictures of executions. At the age of 10, he witnessed a scene that left an undying impress on his imagination. He was playing hide-and-seek with his sister when he saw his female relative engaging in sexual conducts with her servant. This act then got interrupted when the woman’s husband marched in the room. Instead of the husband being violent about the act, the woman abruptly stroked the husband with a powerful blow in the face with her first that he fell back streaming with blood. Witnessing this gave Leopold a strange feeling of pleasure, and in a way, he wished the pain had gotten inflicted on him too (Newschool). Leopold’s family moved to Graz in southern Austria when he was 12. There, he got his doctorate degree in law and became a history professor. Hs frst publication was The Rebellion in Ghent under Charles V. When he turned 25, Leopold found interest in literature. Though behind the image of a young educated professional, there hid a person full of primitive emotions. In his subconscious mind were the images...